


Reincarnation of lost dreams

by Piccola_Poe



Category: Vampyr (Video Game)
Genre: Biting, Blood Drinking, Hospitals, M/M, Reincarnation, stalker behaviour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 22,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21664018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piccola_Poe/pseuds/Piccola_Poe
Summary: A Great love, once lost, will return to a great passion.
Relationships: Geoffrey McCullum/Jonathan Reid
Comments: 45
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you do anything with anyone, it is 100% conversation and consent.  
> Do's and don'ts, sticking to them.  
> Not just doing it, plaining it together, 100% more fun.  
> 100% do your research beforehand, and porn is not your teacher!!!  
> If they don't want too, that is fine.  
> Talk about it, maybe make a compromise or ask about open your relationship to find others who will.  
> If they still are not into it, leave it or end it.  
> If you need to do it, fulfil your desires.  
> Wear PROTECTION!!!!!
> 
> https://www.shamelesssex.com/  
> https://www.omgyes.com/
> 
> Must-reads  
> Come as you are by Emily Nagoski Ph D  
> Beyond the pill by Dr Jolene Brighten  
> http://wednesdaymartin.com/books/untrue/ good book  
> The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton
> 
> IF you are going to go there  
> FIRST EDITION OF THE HISTORY & ARTS OF THE DOMINATRIX  
> by Anne O Nomis
> 
> Watch on youtube:  
> sexplanations  
> Come Curious  
> Watts The Safeword

He almost slipped over onto his face as he bolted down the old hospital hallway. Slamming into the closed doors at the end of the corridor only to find that they were locked, clutching at the swinging doors trying his hardest to tear them open. He suddenly realised what his mistake had been in taking this way instead of the elevator. The hospital was being used for storage as the renovation was being carried out from the ground up.

“Ah, there you are.” The smooth velvety voice called only a few feet away from him. “Please, do not go any further.” He had not heard anything approach; the doctor only appeared. It was a joke that the staff had told. Doctor Jonathan Emmet Reid, the night doctor, always kept a tight leash on this place. The man would materialise out of nothing and vanish the same way. Tom had informed him of this doctor because he was weird. At first, he would have called Tom a dumb ass because the man always liked a good story, but Geoffrey Edward Richardson heard people out because the crazies spoke more truth about the darkness of humankind. 

Tom William was his friend who worked as a nurse at The Mercy Hospital. This hospital was 60 years old and now being used for rehabilitation on the lower floors, dementia patients on the second, was old folks home on the third and fourth and the others were storage.

Geoffrey worked in the rehabilitation part of the hospital but had known Tom before working here; Tom had only been happy to hear that his old friend had taken a position in the same building as himself.

Geoffrey mostly worked mornings until the afternoon and Tom had a few different hours, because of being a nurse, but sometimes they would have lunch together, Tom would end up talking about the night doctor. Tom was just as bad as the older nurses they just loved to gossip, but he would swear that it was only because of the weird stuff that man did.

Geoffrey had, of course, given in to the curiosity about this man, and Tom was happy to share. The man known as Jonathan Emmet Reid was an incredible studied surgeon and doctor, he drove a 1962 Vintage Rolls Royce Phantom with pitch-black windows, arriving to work at six pm and always going by the back door which was the door to the morgue. People said that when meeting him upon entering, the man still smelled of smoke but didn’t smoke. He could make people feel comfortable or uneasy in an instant, and once the man’s mind was made up, it was final. The man dressed like an old school gentleman, elegantly tailored suits, incredibly well put together man and he acted like a gentleman of fairytales too, he didn't even know what the round orange ball in the sky was because he was so fucking pale. 

Tom said that the man knew too much as well, which Geoffrey’s response was don’t you want your doctors to be the best. Tom was like yeah, but this Jonathan knew more than doctors should know. He was strong too, one time one of the patient's drug-affected grandchildren had visited and lost their shit over something and Jonathan had more or less just flicked the man into a wall and knocked the idiot out cold. Jonathan never needed assistance with the patients and never wanted it. He solved every problem that came his way, nothing was ever too hard for this man, and he always got his way.

Geoffrey had said that he wished that his department had more people like that man. Which Tom had only said that the two of them would only end up butting heads, as Geoffrey was the man who got things done in his department. Geoffrey would never meet the man, of course, and he just laughed at Tom’s misfortune of feeling left in the dark with this mystery. But soon the trouble was to be Geoffrey’s in the form of staying back to hang out with Tom after work.

Tom was meant to be down to see him in his office after work, but it was late, so Geoffrey went up to Tom’s department in the old folks home. Geoffrey knew the code for the night door, so he just let himself in, mistake number one. Geoffrey started walking towards the nurse's office in the middle of the floor. That’s when he heard a voice right behind him, Geoffrey didn’t want to acknowledge that he had a gut instinct that something was off the moment that he had arrived on the floor.

“Excuse me, but you should not be on this floor at this time of night.” An elegant but posh voice spoke.

Geoffrey wasn’t spooked; no one seemed to scare him. Geoffrey never understood it himself, his parents had always said that he was a bit weird, but they loved him. Other family members had called him an old soul in a new body, but Geoffrey was born just knowing things. He could fight from day one; he knew London like the back of his hand even though his family had moved from Dublin to London when he was thirteen. Geoffrey was also unfortunate in sleeping at night, only getting four hours of sleep when he did and weird dreams plagued him, but with age, he had learned not to talk about it. 

He never wanted to talk about it anyway, some of the nightmares were painful or just sad. He had also started to forget about the dreams, they were only vivid until the afternoon, and then everything would be normal again. 

Geoffrey turned around to meet the elegant tailored, pale assed, piercing blue eyes doctor himself. “I’m sorry, I am just here to see nurse Tom William,” He said. The man didn’t speak; he looked to be in some shock, but that did not stop him from placing his hand upon Geoffrey’s arm and enclosing it in a tight grip.

“Dr Reid.” Geoffrey thought that he sounded questioning, but was sure that he spat and his facial expressions felt angry.

“I…..Oh my.” The doctor nervously laughed.

“Dr Reid, I see you’ve met Geoffrey,” Tom said, sounding winded from running down the hallway. “Doctor Jonathan Emmet Reid, Geoffrey Edward Richardson.”

“Geoffrey Edward Richardson, it is such a pleasure to meet you.” Dr Reid replied, now shaking his hand, there was something wrong about the man’s smile.

“Yeah……You too.” Geoffrey didn’t like this.

“Well, I’m done now. Goodnight Dr Reid.” Tom bowed towards the doctor. “Come on, Geoffrey. We don’t want to be late.”

“Have fun gentleman and do not drink too much.” The doctor said as their hands separated.

“Sure.” Geoffrey noticed how cold the guy's hand was, it had been like ice. Tom had started pulling Geoffrey away because he couldn’t take his eyes off the man, standing there in the dark hall almost blending in. 

“That was so fucking weird.” Tom spluttered out, once they were outside in the carpark. “You were all fucking mad, and he was so pleased with himself. What the fuck happened between you two?”

“I don’t know, but there is something off about that man,” Geoffrey said, looking up at the old building all lit up with the lights. He could feel something watching them from up there.

“Of course, there is something off with that man. Don’t you listen to me.” Tom preached. “I told you he was a weird one.”

_“Leech.”_ That word he hadn’t thought of in years now. He was so glad that he didn’t work night hour, he would never see that weird night doctor again.


	2. Chapter 2

“Forgive me, father, for I have sinned.” A voice whispered into the shell of the man’s ear, but upon turning around, Sean could see nothing with him in the room. 

“Jonathan, is that you?” Sean said as a light sarcastic laugh projected from the darkness. “You know that I don’t take confessions.”

“Of course, but it is still fun to try,” Jonathan stepped out of the darkness and greeted Sean with a handshake. 

“I’m glad to hear that Jonathan, it has been a while hasn’t it?” He replied cheerfully and smiled at Jonathan, ushering them into the back room of his refuge.

“A month is not that long, but I apologise for the neglect anyway,” Jonathan said taking a seat in front of Sean at the small table in the man’s bedroom.

“And what good news of the world do you bring to my door doctor.” Sean only thought of good things and wished people the best in life, but this was going to put The Sad Saint on edge.

“I am unsure if it is good news at all.” He said, looking worn down, So unlike the immortal beast that he was meant to be. 

“Oh, what has happened, my friend,” Sean said in a bemused voice.

“I have seen him.”

“Him?” Sean felt confused by Jonathan's conversation about some mysterious man. Visibly nothing was a problem with the doctor, but everything slowly started to slip, and a desperate man lay bare. 

“I’ve been terrible and started stalking him,” Jonathan admitted with a guilty conscience, not daring to look into the saintly man’s eyes.

“Oh, Jonathan, please. It is time to move on,” Sean said, shaking his head firmly back and forth. No, this could not be happening; he wished that he could pull Jonathan back from this dark edge.

“But it is him, and I know it.” He exasperated. And maybe Jonathan didn’t think about what would happen by telling Sean. The man was one of three who were still alive that knew about Geoffrey and his relationship from the past.

“Let the man be please,” Sean clung to Jonathan’s hands as he tried to get some sense through to his friend. “If not for him, but yourself.”

“I have only confirmed my insanity,” Jonathan struggled with the fact that he was well aware of just how crazy he had become.

“Just let your friends help you.” So much care and concern poured from him, but there lay an underlying fear for the human being that had caught the vampires eye. 

“And what would any of you be able to do to stop me, Sean?” He was very smug. Indeed, Sean’s eyes fell to the floor; there was nothing that he could do. Jonathan, more or less owned Sean, he had saved him from the fate of becoming a feral Skal. A lowly Skal could do nothing to protect the man that the doctor wanted; They could hide, run, keep Jonathan at bay. No one could help, not even Old Bridget.

It was 1925 all over again, the devastation Jonathan had felt had lasted a lifetime for him, the ripple that followed had affected others. Geoffrey, who was only 37 at the time, had died in a violent suicidal attack on the guard. Of course, the hit was by vampires.

Jonathan was out of the country at the time studying a new medical procedure in Paris. Had received word of Geoffrey’s death and that the funeral would be held back as they waited for his return.

Only the closest to Geoffrey and Jonathan had known about the relationship; the rest saw them as people who sometimes had to work together and get along. Jonathan had rushed back and mourned Geoffrey’s death for a week.

After everything, all he had was pure rage, and he pleaded with the guard to start the great hunt again, with his help, vampires destruction from this earth was now. Just as much as the guard wanted this and it would come to permission. Maxwell, a man who was one of Geoffrey’s captains, could see Jonathan for what he was. A man clinging to the threads of his life, all who knew of Jonathan knew of his past. Maxwell had tried to talk Jonathan out of joining them, Jonathan's mind was unchangeable.

Everything to do with vampires had doomed him — the destruction of his surroundings, body and mind. Jonathan had followed once, but now he was going to let the world know of his pain and anger.

Jonathan was planning to hit the jugular of vampire kind, this wouldn’t be merciful, it would not be fair either, but like humans, they had become greedy and barbaric. This creatures time at the top was not to be long-lived if Jonathan had a say at all.

Sean remembers the long dark time for vampires. From 1926 to 1945, a 20-year-old war over England had happened and just like the end of world war two, Jonathan had ended up as the victor with The Guard of Priwen as the loyalists to him. Jonathan had set up a new law with the vampires that had survived. They would play by his rules. All thanks to modern medical inventions, the English vampire would be the true gentleman of this era. Sean wages that if Jonathan did not have this war, he would have died a long time ago with Geoffrey.

But fate had planned; if Jonathan wished to see Geoffrey, he would have to continue. In 1950, Jonathan had been at a party of some billionaire friend. The theme of the night had been the mysterious beyond.

There had been a fortune-teller, A Lady Grace McWilliams, but she had not been there to entertain. She was a wealthy old lady herself and had been invited along for the night. Lady McWilliams did not give out her readings for free or just anyone. No, this woman chooses them; if they listen to her, it always turns out to be right. She found Jonathan enjoying the big gardens around the old manor house. Introducing herself to him, then after all the pleasantries. She informed him of how much she knew of Doctor Jonathan Emmet Reid.

Jonathan had been surprised by the little old lady, but he could sense the mystique that this woman projected by her real ability. Jonathan had seen many over the years who could do various things that normal humans could not. He saw no threat in her and allowed her to tell his future to him.

“What a handsome man you once loved Dr Reid. A passionate man of life and purpose. But caring and kind he was.” Jonathan could feel the tears building up upon hearing about Geoffrey again. “Now, now, my dear do not cry.” The old lady soothed him and rubbed his hand in hers. “A Great love, once lost, will return to a great passion.” And Lady Grace McWilliams smiled at him. Years later, Jonathan would be at her bedside as this lady left the world.

After that, Jonathan had sworn to Sean that he would wait forever for Geoffrey to return to him. It sounds like some old book of fairytales, but Sean knew that the Doctor deserved something for the peace and care that he brought into this world.

God worked in mysterious ways. Sean was hoping that Jonathan would take things easy and not overreact just because he had waited so long. The man was human, after all, he may be Geoffrey’s reincarnation, but this situation still required delicacy. 

“Please build a friendship with him first, Jonathan,” Sean begged. “Don’t just expect him to remember the past. We don’t know how this works, so please promise me this.” Sean was secretly praying that Jonathan would take this as a doctor, not as himself. “Jonathan, please.”

“One can only try Sean,” Jonathan replied, looking straight at the whitewashed wall. Jonathan knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold back; it had been too long. The sight of Geoffrey again made him incredibly happy, but this world was full of such evil. Without his protection, Geoffrey was a target. Jonathan felt physically sick with the thought of it all. He had been replaying that moment in his mind over and over again for years.  _ “If I hadn’t left England. I would have been there that night with Geoffrey; I would have saved him _ .” Jonathan always thought long about the past. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a weird way of going about things.  
> One) I don't make plans, I have notes yes two or three lines to remember, and I have it all in my head, but the story takes me for a ride.  
> Two) I don't do dates or put down chapter numbers. It would only mess me up.  
> Three) I have tried other ways, but this is how I work, and it is working for me. 
> 
> So for all the readers who I know would be frustrated, I understand been there.  
> But I will never drop or abandon a story; I will finish them, stuff takes time as I do all of it myself and I'm always worried about the flow, grammar and other things and who knows maybe it is all wrong I don't know.  
> But there you go.

“You know I’ve had weird dreams lately,” Tom turned to speak to Geoffrey who was wondering if he should finish his ham sandwich. “I just can’t shake the feeling that something is off.” Tom’s dreams always started the same around his usual routine of repetition in his life, then finding himself alone working in one of the hallways of the dementia wing.

“The night doctor always kept a tight leash on this place.” They told. “The man would materialise out of nothing and vanish the same way.” They said. “He will always catch you alone in the dim-lit hallways on your shift.” They whispered. “He will leave his eyes glued to your back.” They warned. “Do not anger this man.” No one would dare to utter.

Tom had never been afraid of working alone at night in this old but newly renovated Hospital. The nurses told tales and rumours of The Mercy’s past. This Hospital was 60 years old, of course; it had a bloody history; there was blood within the walls. Memories could not hurt you, but what was present could, and that was why Tom William’s did not like the night Doctor, the man felt like a memory that would not die. The doctor would always find him and leave a lingering presence after he left you. Dr Reid would ask him in a whispering voice a lot of questions, but Tom could never remember what he had been asked or replied. The weird man always had a smile of sheer success afterwards, a cat with cream, a very pleased cat with too many lives. “I’m just so creeped out.” Tom shivered. “It is a dream; I know that, but it feels so real.”

“Everything has been off since meeting that Dr Reid.” Geoffrey finally spoke.

“You mean since he met you. Yeah, he was a weird one all right, but after you came along everything just went up to a hundred.” Tom said as he paced back and forwards like a tiger trapped in a cage. “If things don’t calm down, I’m moving on from this place.”

“Why does weird shit always happen to me,” Geoffrey whispered to himself. Nothing in his life seemed to be average, deep down, there was always something going on. When he was young, he knew that he could see things that other people could not.

When Geoffrey was seven and living in Dublin, he remembered his sister Orla and her friend Emily who were older, saw a man hiding in the growth of scrubs and brushwood, surrounded with stunted forests near an old forgotten dilapidated mediaeval building. He had been watching them the whole time; the children had been out there in the open green oval, basking in the sunlight playing. Orla, Geoffrey’s sister had spotted the figure moving through the bushes, she thought it had been an animal, but when the shadow seemed to be stalking them, that’s when she brought it up. Geoffrey did not need to get a good look at it to understand that it was no human. In the back of his mind, it spoke of creatures that hind from the sunlight. They should leave now it whispered it looked hungry. “Bloody Leech.” He thought for the first time. The three children decided to leave the park and informed their parents about the man in the park.

The second time was when Geoffrey was ten and playing with his next-door neighbour Ben. Who was nineteen years old and babysitting them when their parents were at work, his older brother was with friends down the street, his sister was sick and decided to stay in bed. It was late into the afternoon and the night came down quicker in winter, Geoffrey had managed to kick the ball over the back yard fence, behind the wall was a laneway for all the residence of the street to drive their cars into their garages. All tall fences and cobblestones, one entry and one exit only and on days like these, it looked especially miserable.

Ben ran after the ball, telling Geoffrey to stay put, as he didn’t want children playing in the long driveway. Geoffrey waited, it felt like forever, so he went to look for Ben himself. The laneway was straight as a penny up and down, with nothing to hind behind, so unless Ben was in one of the backyards, there was no way Geoffrey could miss him. He saw Ben five houses down from theirs, and he was not alone, this could have been many things, but he knew what it was, the human-like creature had seen him and left the scene. Ben did not remember anything when Geoffrey reached him; the other boy had also been hard to bring back to reality. 

Geoffrey found that from this point on in his life, he could not afford another run-in with one, his whole being screamed at him for being so dumb to have just exposed himself to this thing. Geoffrey then spent all his time in the libraries and looking for any information that was known. He had a list now of mythical creatures, but his mind was hell set on the vampire. He can’t prove anything, but this instinct was strong and pleaded with him to trust it.

From then on, Geoffrey had lived a standard life with his eyes wide open and ears to the ground. He had cameras and motion sensors around his house. Geoffrey was always aware of his surroundings, but the cameras and motion sensors had given him a little comfort, just like keeping a knife in reach.

But now everything felt unsettling. Some big black shadow was hovering around the corner. Geoffrey wanted to scream and punch out all of his frustrations, but he owned a lot of common sense to know that it wouldn’t do any good, in the end, he had just decided to slog it out in the gym after work and keep this mind opened for the next happening.


	4. Chapter 4

“Oh, I have missed you, Geoffrey. Truly missed you.” The velvety elegant voice spoke. “Just to hear your heartbeat makes mine grow fonder, with the thought that you live.” The sound passed through him like a cold wind. 

Eyes were opening to a dreamy scene of immense fog. The bloody smell seared the nose, an overpowering vile mixture of faeces with god knows what else. It was by the docks as the sound of boats in the distance; the question was when in London. Having a love of old history, he had a rough idea because of the smell of the Thames. With the limiting vision around him, he could see stone stairs going back to the streets above, cobblestone below his feet and seawater to the left.

He felt alien. The clothes upon this body felt dense and coarse, but he knows enough to consider that this is himself from another time. He couldn’t explain why he knew this or how, but there was no denying that his body was too familiar and similar. This body was aged and well worn, he was only in his thirties, but this body felt like it had been in a battle fighting for every right to exist.

“Geoffrey, my love.” The voice whispered in his ear; he was frozen to the spot as tingles run down his body like an electrical current. “I grow so impatient, I’m tired of waiting, wanting and longing to hold you again.” the wind returned, this time it felt like fingers running through his hair with a high speed, but not pulling a single hair out of place. 

  
It had been too easy to retrieve information on Geoffrey Edward Richardson. Everything Jonathan needed was within his reach. In this day and age, personal documents on a person were so easy to get, everything was there. Jonathan knew that the guard was within every government official department in England. All he had to do was ask, and they would retrieve it for him.

  
Doctor Reid had done so much for The Guard of Priwen. Without the man, they would have eventually fallen, not in a hurry no. It would have ultimately happened, so if the vampire wanted this man, they would give him on a silver platter if that were the case. Little did they know or care for now was that the man in question was their most significant, influential leader from the passed. But by the time that this was to arise, Jonathan will have gotten away with blue murder. he smiled internally to himself. “Soon, I’ll be coming for you.” Geoffrey’s eyes fell shut as the cold lips embraced his. “There will be no escape.” A comfortable vice-like grip held tightly, as the pair continued to dance around down in the docks, blending in with the mist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Staggers in drunk yelling "WHAT WASN'T GONE THAT LONG." in a bogan voice. "I WAS ONLY IN THE SHITTER." 
> 
> Has been very stressed with the fires, then lost the passion for my work.  
> Not for the fiction, but how I do things.  
> Comments 100% welcome.  
> Working alone on this if there are any imperfections you know why.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ah, nurse William.” A smooth, calm voice spoke to Tom from over the reception counter. Tom had jumped with the surprise of Dr Reid’s magical appearance. After so many jumpscares, one would think that he would be used to it by now. “ I was wondering if you could pass through some complaints to Mr Richardson for me.”

It was funny. Tom thought; first, it had been Dr Richardson complaining about the new occupational therapy professional. The Doctor had only just arrived and had not seen his work inbox on his computer, that clearly stated that Geoffrey Edward Richardson was leaving the Mercy due to some health problems. Tom felt Geoffrey’s issues too, but he was holding out until the end of this year to hand in his resignation and move to the country. “Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” Tom said, looking up at him. “But you are going to have to wait until the new manager arrives next Monday.” Damn Doctors, sometimes they had no communication skills. They only talk amongst themselves and then relied on the staff to fill them in when they missed stuff, but Dr Reid had been different, maybe something was wrong, the night doctors mythological hold was slipping, whoever would have thought that was possible. 

“Mr Richardson is not with us?” Jonathan frowned, watching the man sitting at the desk shuffle papers around in his hands as his eyes darted to the floor quickly. Trying hard to cut any form of contact, maybe the human had finally learned to listen to his instincts. All humans had some level of primal knowledge or trauma that could be inherited; it was the fear of being too close to the edge. Vampires were the same thing ingrained into their psyche, a fear dating back ages if they recognised it.

“Not anymore, he has left.” Tom hurriedly rushed his words as he was growing more nervous around the Doctor.

“Do tell more,” He commanded the man before him to come forth with a growling tone and red eyes, Jonathan gripped the younger man’s shoulder, like a man trying to tie the rope of a sail down that had been set free in the wind. He had felt the tension and the gazelle wanted to jump, but Jonathan held him there.

“It is because of you Reid,” Tom muttered softly, then gained enough courage to look the beast in the face. “You walked in, then bad things happened.” Thinking back on what he had said, Tom now wished that he had said nothing at all.

“Forget that we ever had this conversation.” Jonathan spat, trying his best to hold back on this human. It was not his fault that Geoffrey had left; he had felt the coming danger and went back to familiar ground. Jonathan was just going to have to meet Geoffrey head-on or bring him here. He left in a hurry and went straight to his office to make a call. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a while, and this is short, but I am hoping to get back and get this done soon.


	6. Chapter 6

The Richardson family had made the long voyage back to London to see Geoffrey for his 36 birthday. The Richardson family had left the hustle and bustle of London when Geoffrey had turned 29, but the strongly independent boy that he was had moved out with some friends at age 26.

The family ran a veterinary clinic in Dublin, London and now they had moved it to Clifton. The whole family worked in the business except Geoffrey, and now Dale Richardson was getting close to retirement, he wanted to take his lovely wife Edith to see the world. Orla and Ben Ian Richardson were going to be partners in their father's business and continue working it while he was gone. Both were extremely excited at their father's sudden desire for retirement. The man had never said that he was going to retire, but everyone believed that if anyone should deserve it more, it was Dale Richardson, the man had worked hard his whole life and had cared for all in it too. So hearing that their father was finally going to take a long holiday, it was sure overdue all right.

Dale had planned the trip and travelled all night to get there because the man always had hated the London traffic and it is not like they were intruding. The family had bought in together for the old Victorian terraced house. Geoffrey lived in the street level house, and he had paid off his family for that part, and the family kept the basement flat as a place to stay when visiting London. Geoffrey was out when they had arrived, so they had settled in and decided that they would see him in the morning. They had no idea that the house was under surveillance, every waking hour of every day and night. They had no idea that the unseeable force was waiting to strike.

Geoffrey had been on another hunt for more information on vampires. Always on the hunt for anything, but never really giving his full undivided attention to this subject of his interests; His instinct told him any more delays would be deadly. Geoffrey had a sixth sense of following the right information; he had a strong indication that a lot of people he had come into contact with knew more than what they were saying and lying to him. These people keep trying to lead him away and wanting to lead him down the garden path, more in the mythological fiction or hind information from him. There were a lot of dangerous individuals to deal with, challenging games to play. Still, he only played with the simple or stupid ones, leaving the corrupt kind alone. Thanks to his level of smarts, Geoffrey had obtained small parts about fighting vampires and some names that kept coming up again and again.  
  
Some of it was some small pocketbook on the biographical information about the species of vampires. Vampires are a highly fictionalised group across the scope of London and equally affected by class hierarchy. Of the five known types, Ekon is closest to their human counterparts, living among the wealthy. With the exception of Vampire hunters, few humans can actively detect their presence. Skal and Vulkod are more animistic and reclusive in nature. Where Ekon resort to more descriptive methods of killing their victims, the more Skal and Vulkod often resort to open violence and brute force during their kills. Vulkod can shapeshift, changing the mass and weight of their bodies. Skal, a strain of vampire created by the Spanish Flu, Skals are short-tempered and treated with disdain by other vampires. Both are considered "lesser vampires" as a result of baser natures. Further out on the outlying communities of vampire are Nemrods. Nemrod are self-hating vampires that despise their very species and hunt them in a fashion similar to vampire hunters.

Geoffrey had received a book today, he could not wait to read it, he knew that he should not read it out in the open, but the suspense was killing him. That little instinct was telling him to read in the park; the park is safe today. The park is bustling on Saturdays lots of families; you will not look out of place there, listen, all will be fine. Geoffrey found a park bench away from the playground but still within the park to sit and read on. He sat there with this grubby small hard covered book with no protector on; it had seen years of use by the beatings, discolouring and tearing. The little manual within his hand was ripe for the reading, ready for the devouring. Only after reading it, Geoffrey started to feel sick, he was feverishly sweating, and his stomach was in great pain. The whole time a tiny voice saying he already knew this. At the back of the book had information on what the text intended purpose was, it seemed to be a general book handed out to inform the public on some great evil that was plaguing the land. Geoffrey did not know how long he had sat there in this park having an out-of-body experience. But once he was back, he noticed two things, one it was dark and two a young lady was sitting beside him talking gently to him.

"Are you ok?" She asked him sweetly. Geoffrey just jumped to his feet; this woman was one of them, a vampire, an Ekon because of the way she was so put together; there was no doubt about it.

"Come on, Geoffrey, you never use to be this nervous around me." She slowly got up from the bench and started to approach him. "I hope that you are not sick."

"Stay back!" Geoffrey yelled, gritting his teeth at her.

"You know, I can not do that, not when it is too dangerous for you to be alone." She spoke so genuine with concern that if he were an average person, he would have fallen for it.  
  
  
"Yeah, right." Geoffrey spat as he just kept walking backwards until his back hit something substantial and there was a pain in his side. "Fuck!" he yelled around quickly to see the very man that he did not ever want to see again. 

"I am so sorry, Geoffrey." Doctor Reid said looking remorseful as Geoffrey’s world grew black.


	7. Chapter 7

"Jonathan, do you realise just how dangerous it is to bring us back here." Lady Ashbury spoke sternly at Jonathan, who was more concerned with his first task at hand, getting the information off his backup computer.

"I do know that my dear Elisabeth, I do know," Jonathan said as he hurried to do what was needed and get them out of here. He had too many private documents stored away, here within the walls of this Hospital. Why here, within plain sight, was always the safest option. Here the objects were left to rust and decay. Everything was a once used thing, a cost to get rid of, no one wants this anymore, we have so much room to store everything away, now it was forgotten and his for using.

"Then why are we here and not at the safe house with your young man." She questioned him.

"I only have a few things that I need from here, and then we leave," Jonathan said trying his hardest to discreetly hind his anxiousness, all he wanted to do was be within the walls of the safe house.

"Do try to be quick, Jonathan." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood, it was tough when too many well-configured plans had failed, and everyone was now exposed. "Your enemies have gathered, and they do know of your fondness for this man."

"I have The Guard of Priwen, and The Brotherhood of Saint-Paul Stole in every crack in this city. This so-called enemy will not be around for long." He spoke with such confidence. No human or vampire before him had ruled a city for so long as this tyrant had done. 

"This I also know, but one can not help and think that they are after a direct attack." Lady Ashbury had seen many battles throughout the years, but it was always the same tactics to achieve a specific end. "Making it out alive does not sound like what they hope to achieve." There was a reason Jonathan had asked her to be his advisor. The age and wisdom were endless, and the abilities to read people and creatures was priceless. "The attack on Geoffrey's family was no coincidence."

"Lucky I had Priwen stalking the place." His tone was arrogant. "His family was a bit shaken up, but all are fine."

"Good luck indeed." She pondered "But luck does not always last long." Jonathan took a long breath, Lady Ashbury was usually right with these things and to doubt her now would be a crime; he nodded in agrees with her. 

Muffled voices could be heard in the distance, as Geoffrey regained his consciousness back slowly, he was on his back, looking up at an old ceiling and he was surrounded by 70's hospital furniture, in a place that smelled like it stake air years without ventilation. Getting up and taken in his surroundings, everything felt familiar to him this place, Geoffrey was back in The Mercy Hospital. He was in one of the rooms that Tom and himself hung around sometimes on rainy days when they did not want to have lunch in the staff room. Usually, the pair would walk to the old sitting room to have lunch there, Geoffrey had inspected the whole floor when they had been here. He was only two doors down from the sitting room, and there was an exit both ends of the hallways with two twin spiral staircases, and there was only one elevator on the right side. All he had to do was get to the left end of the hall, as the right was where the muttering voices came from, he started walking as incredibly quiet as he could.

"Geoffrey is…." Lady Ashbury informed him, thinking that maybe Jonathan was too worried to notice that Geoffrey was conscious again.

"Yes," Jonathan said, using the shadows to jump out of the room and into the hallway.

Geoffrey's instinct told him to run and do not stop. He almost slipped over onto his face as he bolted down the old hospital hallway. Slamming into the closed doors at the end of the corridor only to find that they were locked, clutching at the swinging doors trying his hardest to tear them open. He suddenly realised what his mistake had been in taking this way instead of the elevator.

  
  


"Shit!" Geoffrey spat, giving up on the doors, his only two other options where the open rooms on the opposite side. 

"Ah, there you are." The smooth velvety voice called only a few feet away from him. "Please, do not go any further." He had not heard anything approach; the doctor only appeared. It was a joke that the staff had told. Doctor Jonathan Emmet Reid, the night doctor, was right there.

Geoffrey dived into the room on the right and tried to slam the door shut, but the doctor was too strong and ripped the door off its hinges, Geoffrey had only managed to let a gasp out, as he could feel the wall on the other side close to his face. It was quick, efficient and surprisingly gentle, which he knew from the book was not what Ekon's did or had to do, why he was still alive was unknown to him. 

"Geoffrey, God damn it. Stop trying to turn this into a game of cat and mouse." The doctor growled, he was growing impatient. 

"What do you want with me, leech!" Geoffrey yelled at him.

"What I want is you to be safe." He pleaded with the man.

"Safety? You're a beast who wants blood. Your kind is nothing more or less." Geoffrey shot back, silently cursing himself for playing with a dangerous creature like this one.

"Well, it is good to know that some of your flair for the dramatics has returned." The doctor said, rolling his eyes at the young man and a small smile clawed up his face. "And I am afraid that you are wrong. Not all of us are like that."

"FUCK YOU." Geoffrey kicked the doctor, which had loosened his grip on him and he pulled his holy cross from around his neck off and shoved it in the doctor's face. The smell and sounds of burning flesh hit his ears and nose, the frying pan kind of crackling with a sharp yell of pain as the creature backed away. It was only a fraction, but it was just enough for Geoffrey to make a second jump at freedom.

"Damn it, Geoffrey!" he snarled and used his shadowy claws to gripped Geoffrey and pull him back into the room. "That's enough, young man!" He could see Geoffrey was still struggling. "Your family would very much like to see you again and in one piece." Gripping the man's chin and making him directly share eye contact.

"What have you done to them leech!" Geoffrey gave him a wary look, his family was everything to him, and it was a functional weakness. 

"I saved them from the fate of the past." A stern tone now came across, as the anger slowly faded away. "Now do come with us and I'll make sure that you will be reunited again." What choice did Geoffrey have, the leech was talking the truth and how could he trust this word, because he had too. "Are you going to behave yourself? Because I am fine with dragging you around like this." The doctor just smiled at him.

What a sarcastic prick, this bastard, this leech was. "Yes, I'll be good for now." There was heat in those words and a promise too.

"Good, do let us go now." He gave Geoffrey an amused look and letting him fall to the floor with a thud. 


	8. Chapter 8

Everything was out in the open now. In a way, Jonathan felt relieved; there were no more games to play, no one to manipulate. It was not in Jonathan's nature to be cruel or possessive; the delusion that had driven him mad placed there by Lady Grace McWilliams was no more than a whisper in the wind.

Jonathan had been foolish enough to forget the human mentality. Richardson and McCullum were two different people in their timelines. The same whole human that he adored but with different circumstances. It had been selfish to think that one could take and get the same results. No, he had been lucky to have had Geoffrey back then, no matter how short it had been.

Thinking back on meeting Geoffrey for the first time, it had not been love at first sight. No, Geoffrey McCullum leader of The Guard of Priwen had been on a mission to find information and scare Dr Edgar Swansea into staying inline. Geoffrey had told Jonathan once that he could always tell when the human was hiding something from him. Edgar had been hiding something from both of them as it turned out in the end. McCullum had put on a gruff, hostile exterior. Of course, it was not pleasant to act that way, but when you knew what McCullum dealt with or had to put up with, you would understand the need for a mask like this one. Dr Swansea describes McCullum as a fanatic, only because of his single mind attitude that came across, hunt, kill and preach of the Guard, which gave him the single-minded zeal, especially for a political cause. But really what did McCullum get. Respect, power, yes, but what Dr Swansea did not know that this was a very mundane job and McCullum had not been allowed a choice.

Jonathan and McCullum stood there staring at each other, Jonathan did not want to fight the man, but McCullum wanted too, thank goodness for Dr Swansea's persistence in telling McCullum to leave. Much later they would have their fight, Jonathan would win and spare the man, McCullum would help Jonathan after that, but never willingly, only if it was needed or to save England or humanity.

But Doctor Jonathan Emmet Reid was a hard bastard to hate; even McCullum had trouble doing it. How could you hate a man who was willing to help at every corner, it sure as hell drove McCullum mad but he had excepted it. Slowly the two had bonded over the little things, nothing that told Jonathan much about McCullum. All he knew was that during McCullum's youth, his father was turned into a vampire and tore out his wife's throat. Ian, his older brother, had turned and ran away after. Eldritch who killed his father and took McCullum in, raising him to become a vampire hunter and later helping McCullum hunt down his brother Ian. The vain of his pain through his whole life had been the creatures of the night.

McCullum liked three kinds of dogs, the German Shepherd, Dobermann and The Irish Wolfhound, McCullum did not smoke, he did drink but only on the rare occasions and only drank Asian tea. Upon asking why Jonathan only got something about knowing how the English tea was made and that it is shit. The man liked to read a lot and spoke Irish Gaelic, Italian, French, German, Russian and Mandarin. He could read in Latin too. Jonathan had been embarrassed at first seeing that he only spoke four languages. After getting over that, Jonathan had found enjoyment in speaking in Italian or French alone with McCullum. Because the man never spoke it out a loud, because being the brute meant of playing it down sometimes.

McCullum was intelligent too; a Roman general sure would be proud of a man like McCullum; he was the leader of Priwen; he liked jokes also. McCullum had said that he would not be an Irish man if he did not. McCullum was surprisingly a gentle and loving man, Jonathan had witnessed this in Pembroke Hospital in the children's ward. Jonathan was in the department at the time with some of the sickest children most where dying and Jonathan knew it more than anyone. A young boy named Thomas had seen McCullum's sword and been drawn over to the man to get a look at it up close. Now McCullum's sword had an incantation upon it to make it hard to see when hiding away or in its sheath, only the experienced, dead or dying could see it.

"Excuse me, Sir, but is that a sword you have an upon you?" Thomas had quietly asked McCullum.

McCullum turned his head around and looked down on the boy. "What bright eyes you have there boy, a marksman would be proud." Thomas smiled as McCullum complimented the boy. "Would you like to see it?" A nurse beside Jonathan had raised an eyebrow at him because most of the staff knew of Mr McCullum, they feared, hated, liked or found that the man an annoyance.

"I would like that so much Sir," Thomas replied

"I am sure you would like it too," McCullum said quickly drawing back his heavy overcoat to reveal the sword on his hip, the nurse gassed with horror only thinking before that this had been all but imagination. "I bet you would like to hold it too," McCullum then pulled the sword out of the sheath.

"I would so very much like that." Thomas watched as the man tossed the sword into his other hand, letting the light hit it from every beautiful angle. The nurse just stared at McCullum then back at Jonathan, who seemed more concerned with the bandage that he was reapplying.

"Nurse Bardon, would you kindly keep your eyes on the task before you please," Jonathan said as he could not have Nurse Bardon ruining poor Thomas's fun. Jonathan then left the nurse with the task, Drawing closer to watch McCullum teaching Thomas how to hold his sword, while keeping the sword clear from the other children who had gathered around to watch, they were calling the man a knight.

"I am no knight," McCullum spoke to them gently and with such warmth.

"What are you then?" One asked him.

"Have you read about Red Riding Hood?" McCullum said, and the children all replied with a yes. "I am a hunter of the bad creatures." Jonathan could not help but smile to himself at the man indulging the children's imagination.

McCullum had made a promise to teach Thomas with a wooden sword; the boy wanted to be like the knights in his storybooks. When Thomas had succumbed to his cancer, McCullum had asked if the sword could be buried with the boy as he was a knight. McCullum hated seeing people die, the man saw it all the time, it did not make him too sad, but the needless waste of good lives is what made McCullum mad about the whole thing.

Once they started using each other's first names, Jonathan knew that some of Geoffrey's prejudices toward him had changed, maybe he could call Geoffrey a friend in the for coming future. But with their line of work as it was, they became friends quickly. Geoffrey had saved Jonathan from a crazy religious hunter just a week ago. The holy man killed vampires but would sometimes judge others the same way as the creatures. Which had settled unevenly with Geoffrey, no one could walk into Geoffrey's hunting ground without going through Priwen first.

Jonathan had insisted on going somewhere nice for dinner as a thank you. Geoffrey was hesitant; he only went into the upper-class society when he was playing a role to get to his target, never to have a meal with someone, he usually went to a pub or club for that. What did Geoffrey have to complain about, Jonathan was paying for it.

Geoffrey could not help thinking in his old ways. _"Wine and dining just to drink from you. There is always some ulterior motive behind this. Vampires are not humans anymore. We are only cattle to them to feed off."_ Geoffrey shook his head and cursed under his breath _"Shut up!"_ There was no need for thinking like that with Reed. The man had saved the world from the Red Queen and the epidemic, he continued to help out after as well.

  
Jonathan had been pleased when Geoffrey did turn up but impressed with how well the man cleaned up. Geoffrey looked splendid in a dinner suit with a clean face; he also knew how to walk into a room presenting himself well. Geoffrey had used a different name, Jonathan had expected that. Together they had dined, but Jonathan felt that Geoffrey had been acting the whole time, and now Jonathan was mentally kicking himself, of course, Geoffrey would perform differently around a crowd like this. It was not his natural habitat; this was all trained to behave to act in different circumstances, yes this had been a bit of a mistake. Jonathan could make up for this. "Geoffrey would you like to come to mine for a drink." He asked the man across from him, trying to see if he could save the rest of the night.

"What a horrible thing to say. What kind of drinking where you are thinking of?" Geoffrey said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh Geoffrey, come on, do try to be civilised," Jonathan replied, rolled his eyes at the silly man before him.

"Alright, I'll trust you this time Dr Reed," Geoffrey muttered, keeping this between them. "Let's have a quiet one at yours then,"

"You should trust me more Geoffrey." Jonathan leans back taking in the sight of the well-dressed man, Jonathan slowly smiled. "Well then let's see what kind of trouble I can get myself into?"

"Do not get cheeky Johnny boy," Geoffrey says, taking his offer all the same as they start walking out.


	9. Chapter 9

Jonathan had never expected things to go this way. Why did he have to deal with these kinds of emotions again, Jonathan thought that he would have grown out of it by now, his mother had told him that he would learn not to have feelings for other men again.

Geoffrey McCullum was a dangerous man; he was the leader of Priwen, the head of the United Kingdom and Ireland section of The Guard of Priwen, they were all over the world. They had different parts and ways of doing things, Geoffrey, a respected member of Priwen, he had fought his whole life for the cause, and now a vampire was pining after him. Jonathan knew that trouble follows those who played with fire, and if Geoffrey was not the kerosene, he was the match. 

Jonathan had just seen Geoffrey get hurt; his heart could not take it. He had helped provide medical assistance, and Geoffrey was in Pembroke Hospital laying there out cold, but he was stable. The Hospital had been close to where the incident had happened. Jonathan talked the men into taking him and the others there, he had wanted control of the situation, and everyone knew that he was the best doctor in this part of London, Jonathan did not like to brag, but he was. If it was not his skills, it had to be his bedside manner; there was not a single person that he had said no to helping. 

Geoffrey had a private room that Priwen had paid for, the man would have a fit later knowing that his men had put in a private bed for him, away from the common folk like himself. The other men were taken care of, and all had been well enough to allow to leave the Hospital. Jonathan had taken a visual over the man the is the bed, Geoffrey's men were also taking watch over him too, he was safe in the good doctor's hands, so they left Jonathan alone in Geoffrey's room. 

Jonathan was a mixture of anxiousness and worried for the man before him. Jonathan feared that Geoffrey might have sustained some kind of head injury or internal damage, what he could check over seemed fine, but you can never be too sure with injuries of any kind. Jonathan had learned in medical college, and on the battlefield, the smallest thing could cause death if one was not careful.

"Stop overthinking I can hear you in my sleep." Said a tired voice.

Jonathan could have jumped on the man if he did not have his doctors composure. "Geoffrey, please tell me how you are feeling and is there any pain you may be in?" Jonathan went straight to doctor-patient normality; his work always came first.

"Dr Reed please, I think that you have been a tremendous help. All I feel that I need is something for my head." Geoffrey spoke gently with his eyes close; he must have been suffering from a headache. 

"I have just the thing," Jonathan replied, stepping back for a moment, returning with medication in hand and a glass of water. "I would like to keep you here for one more night. Just to be sure that there are no implications." 

"Well, it is your lucky day Reed, because I feel too exhausted even to complain." Geoffrey sighed, taking the medication and finishing the glass then he lay back down in the bed. 

Jonathan felt a little more concerned. Geoffrey was a stubborn man. Many times before he had walked away after receiving medical assistants and returned to the safety of the Priwen compound. Geoffrey had lost this much blood and had a knock to the head with the same ferocity before. Never had that stopped Geoffrey. He was always returning to where he felt save. "Geoffrey are you sure that you are feeling alright?"

  
  


"Just see it as putting more trust in your corner," Geoffrey said, opening his eyes and looking Jonathan dead straight. "Remember Johnny, I am human and getting old. I can not take the same knocks as I use too."

Jonathan did not want to talk about this subject. How long could he ignore it, when someone else he cared for was gone, is that when he would pay attention. Geoffrey never made fun of age or getting old, the man just accepted it, maybe it was because Geoffrey had thought he would be dead by now. "Please try to be more careful in the future, Geoffrey." The plea came across loud and clear. Jonathan just felt ashamed for begging for his newly found friend to be more concerned with his life. Men did not express such emotions. In the trenches, they did because so many had died—every minute of every day. No one wanted to leave things unsaid and have that regret hanging over them. Jonathan found himself looking anywhere but at Geoffrey. 

Geoffrey stared hard at Jonathan; he could see that he was not fond of anything to do with the loss of life. "Jonathan, look at me," Geoffrey said as he reached out and held Jonathan's cold hand in his warm one. "I will try. I am sorry this is all I can offer you, but I will try." When Jonathan left the room, he had wished to contain the warmth from Geoffrey's hand forever, but it was impossible as it slowly faded like a fire dying down.


	10. Chapter 10

For weeks now, Jonathan had thought of Geoffrey's words about getting older, there was no doubt about it, there were only a few lines upon Geoffrey's face, but he was still an attractive and a very pleasing sight indeed. Jonathan had the luck of helping Geoffrey after a big hunt, both of them had been covered head to toe in blood and need of a change of clothes. Geoffrey had taken him to a Priwen hind out, the third place that Jonathan had been loud in. He had witnessed Geoffrey strip down into only his underwear. The man had just walked up to him and directed him to a water bowl to wash in, still in the thin fabric covering his genitalia. Jonathan had a hard time keeping his eyes up. Jonathan was used to seeing people in little to nothing, and it had not bothered him, but seeing the person for whom you hold affection for was hard not to gawk. 

"We'll have some clothes around here somewhere for you Johnny," Geoffrey said as he walked off into the back to find Jonathan something to wear, Geoffrey was still walking around in his underwear. Dammit did he want Jonathan to lose his composure, Jonathan wanted to throw the man up against a wall and kiss or bite him. Geoffrey came back with the change of clothes and some other things. "There you go." He said, handing them over, then went to change the water and refilled the bowl, dropping his briefs in the process.

Jonathan turned around quicker than even possible for a vampire. He was going to focus on the task at hand of putting himself together. But after a few moments, Jonathan picked up a familiar smell on the air. He felt a hunger growing within himself. This smell was so commonplace; it was the very smell from partaking in drinking Geoffrey's blood; it was all the man's natural scent with his life force. After Jonathan's curiosity had gotten the better of him, he had started doing a private study on what types of blood that he seemed to favour. Jonathan would say that definitely, the most healthy individuals were the best to get his blood source. Jonathan had found out that some athletes had been very delicious. Jonathan had started an underground blood bank of some kind; he would pay for very healthy subjects' blood. Jonathan had been mesmerising people into his private practice to collect their blood and leave them in a safe place back outside with the money in their pockets. Geoffrey had of course been suspicious and had asked him about it, Jonathan had indeed come forward to him, Geoffrey had turned his back just as long as Jonathan kept it small and no more. 

"Geoffrey, are you wearing some perfume?" Jonathan asked quietly.

"No, it is just the soap." Geoffrey sounded very sure of himself, but Jonathan's vampire abilities said otherwise.

"It is not the soap; I can smell the difference." Jonathan's sense could pull apart any smell and identify it straight away. It was so animalistic but so handy, Jonathan used it all the time, it had saved some people in the hospital too. 

"Well, it must be my human smell then."

"How is it possible you have never smelled like this before?" Jonathan was puzzled if Geoffrey smelled this delicious before, Jonathan would not have been able to control himself.

"Every living thing has an individual scent. Priwen has a certain rub that we use to hide our smells." He said dryly.

"What." Priwen seemed to be quite ahead for its time in some departments.

"Have you smelled any of the men before?" Geoffrey honestly put forward to him.

"Heard them. More than smelled." Jonathan admitted. 

"Something that we'll have to work on," Geoffrey replied. "Well in the earlier days, a lot of fighting was done in castles, small places or underground. You could not go into places smelling like prey." Letting his head fall to the side as he thought about what Carl had told him, without giving too much away. "It is like putting meat outside and hoping that the feral dogs do not take it."

"Yes, it is a dangerous job." He pondered over what the older Priwen had to do back in the day. "It does make sense that one would think of ways to minimise the hazards if one can." Thinking about all of the people before them, who had to die just to have found something to repel vampires seemed cruel.

"Years of trial and error."

"Have you at least thought about another position within Priwen?" Jonathan questioned him with the intent to find out if Geoffrey had wanted to do anything else in his life.

"Johnny, this job will be the death of me." Geoffrey shook his head slowly. "There is no way around it." He looked at his hands casually, thinking about when his death will be and if he could keep it together at the end, he had failed the first time when Jonathan had him in the theatre. 

"Geoffrey, why must you speak like that." Jonathan was hurt by Geoffrey's statement even if it was not a lie.

"Stop playing like a kicked dog Johnny. I am the strongest Priwen member right now; none of the men can beat you on their own yet." He said, having accepted the unpleasantness that one cannot do anything.

"So far." Jonathan chimed in. "With more practice, they will succeed." he knew that the men who did train with him were getting better every day.

"My use is to serve until I can no longer can or die trying." Geoffrey threw back at Jonathan quickly. "We have talked about this before."

"I know that, but is it so bad to break the rules now and again?" He was pleading; if Jonathan had to play this game, he would, Geoffrey did have a soft underbelly when he cared. "You have for me."

"Johnny, I did not get married to have a bereaved widow crying for me." He sarcastically said.

"Are you implying something Geoffrey?" Jonathan questioned him, slightly raising an eyebrow at him. 

"Just do not cry over me."

"Are you serious? I cry over everyone that I lose. How could you think that I would not mourn over you." Jonathan was seriously puzzled by Geoffrey's request. The man only told people what to do as the leader of Priwen and never controlled someone's emotions unless it was a life or death situation.

"Well, we both knew what kind of line of work that I do," Geoffrey said with all honesty. It was no lie, Jonathan had fallen for a man who could not walk away from his position. It was to be worn thin or die kind of job. 

"It was not your choice." Jonathan was trying to get the point across. Geoffrey was not like the families of nobility; you were born into being in the army because your father was or carrying on the nobility act, even if it was not what you wanted to do. Geoffrey had been found and trained up from a boy. 

"I knew enough. I went with Carl Eldritch." He snapped.

"You were a child Geoffrey," Jonathan added, looking in the grip of a profound confrontation that he was trying his hardest to keep level headed. "Children do not entirely understand everything; you were all alone."

"I did not know that I was going to succeed Carl," Geoffrey growled in his gruff manner. "There were three other boys with me. Two of them are my best captains and second in command."

"What happened to the last one?" Jonathan soberly asked.

"He died." It could not be any blunter than that. "Come on, Johnny, no one wants to die. We have to protect the people from things that they do not understand, not everyone can understand it either." He turned his back on Jonathan, why had this turned into an argument. Why could Jonathan not see that this was like him being picked at random to be the champion for England, it had been short sticks for all involved, and not everyone could have a happy ending. 

"I know that…. I can not lose you." Jonathan felt choked up. "I do not want too." Everything had happened in a rush, Jonathan had locked lips with Geoffrey up against the wall that he had pushed Geoffrey into, he had done it gently, just like the kiss.

When Jonathan moved back giving Geoffrey room, Geoffrey wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "You can not go around doing that, Johnny." Geoffrey pushed him back even more. "Have you forgotten what I am?"

"A man and a hunter of evil creatures." His throat felt dry; Jonathan feared for the worst at this moment.

"A hunter of evil is all." Geoffrey calmly spoke. "I do not care what one does behind closed doors with another significant other, or neither does Priwen. Carl Eldritch did many things that would make a fake polite society blush."

"So does this mean that dinner is out of the question?"

"Who is having the dinner is what I am worried about Johnny boy," Geoffrey smirked and punched Jonathan in the arm. 

"Geoffrey. Do drop the leech jokes please." What an excellent beginning that had been. The first argument and kiss as a couple, all in one night too. Jonathan knew that Geoffrey would be a most exciting lover indeed.


	11. Chapter 11

The Guard of Priwen had now made the connection between Richardson and McCullum, which led Jonathan to surrender his position as Leader. Jonathan wondered if death had the same sweet release as he felt now. Jonathan had been holding on for so long, grappling with fear and passion. The fear of losing everything that he had fought for, for so very long, it was the noose around his neck. The love that had been Geoffrey's now was Jonathan's, and it was a drive to see a better and a brighter future for all under their care. The next in line a Sarah Raymond had come into the position of power and with this power came rules for Jonathan. Even if both of them knew that leaving Priwen was best for him, they knew that they could not let him go completely, he was a liability, he knew too much, and others would try to obtain this knowledge from him. Hesitantly Jonathan agreed to Raymond's conditions, his place in the world was knowledge reserved for the board, and he would always have Priwen people around him or at his call. Geoffrey was to be kept secret from him, as the man was a temptation, a liability and would be theirs to use if they see fit to do so. There was a new threat brewing within England, and it would be best for Jonathan to roam the streets alone, like in his days of the epidemic.

There was a new fear within Jonathan as everything played out; it had been the same after Geoffrey's death. His head was on the chopping board, as some opposed him and some who supported him, his survival was on the line. The committee debated his freedom and Raymond's conditions. It had been all the same shit in a different era. When Jonathan had tried to fill the position as the Leader of Priwen, he was nothing but a leech. Even with all the excellent work within the Guard of Priwen and providing help to the fellow man. Some opposed him, and some supported him.

So Jonathan continued with Geoffrey's work and nothing went smoothly, of course, it had not. First, being accused of the murder of McCullum and others in the attack, Jonathan had nearly fallen over with such accusations laid upon him. He was murdering babies in the children's ward, drinking the blood of patients and Priwen's own, tempting Geoffrey into horrendous acts against humanity and human experiments. Secondly, it was that he was involved in some way, which all this gossip had almost ended with Jonathan back on Priwen's hunt list. If it were not for Maxwell and his small group of supporters, he would have perished. But Jonathan felt that he had no time to play silly games with those fools; he had to track down the group that had committed the atrocity and be the victor. How could they sit there and fight over Geoffrey's wishes. Geoffrey's most treasured journals were in Jonathan's possession, such a move only meant one thing that Geoffrey wanted Jonathan to be there, to take the reigns and guide his people along this hard road. Geoffrey had cared for so many within Priwen and united The Brotherhood of Saint-Paul Stole. It would be criminal to just walk away on everything that the man had changed, especially since it meant that he could walk around freely.

Jonathan had thought that being a vampire was hard; being the Leader of the Guard was much worse. It was not like His doctor duties, taking care of the patient until they were well enough for him to let them go. No, this patient was terminally ill and his to care for until one or the other died. He was in charge of a mental institution, and it was running off the rails. Geoffrey's death had left so many hopeless, restless, defenceless and others who were nothing but a power craze hungry mob. 

How they had survived the war was such a surprise. Maybe it was the English spirit, being trodden on and worn down went with the territory of being English and rising above it. Jonathan then held the reigns of The Guard of Priwen and things dragged on behind closed doors. Jonathan had won in the end, the war and the undecided of Priwen. With it came a stranglehold on vampires society, all of the United Kingdom and Ireland held his laws, it was obey or behead.

Everything was just repetition now; he could win his freedom again. It was all based on greed and gluttony; Jonathan could not comprehend the idiocy of everyone and thing playing this game, did they know that Jonathan was the victor. Thinking back on all the attempts on his life, Jonathan had found it strange how he had lived for so long. He had been reckless up until Lady Grace McWilliams prediction. Jonathan had reconsidered and planned out his longevity. Now he was tired of the fighting and wars; all he wanted was to sleep for a long time.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Updates I have been recorrecting the past pages, and now I am back on track.

Jonathan left the new attack in Priwen’s hands; they were a well-organized group and could survive without his help. Jonathan had been The Guard of Priwen’s leader for sixty-nine years now, and it was time for them to stand alone. So what was there for Jonathan to do, retire. He leaves England for Ireland, Dublin to be precise, he had purchased a country manor and became a researcher for Priwen. So all ties had not been cut, there was still a thin thread.

Two years seem like the drop of a penny into an infinite ocean when you have forever to waste. Jonathan had not heard much from anyone; he had tried very hard to keep his existence quiet. Only Sean Patrick Hampton, Lady Elisabeth Ashbury, Old Bridget and the few within Priwen knew of the Doctors quiet life in the country. Technology had become Jonathan’s new best friend, a course with the coming generations he had learned how to use computers. Dr Jonathan Emmet Reid was a wealthy man many times over, and it was not from the lack of trying, wealth allowed a certain amount of freedom and comfort for an Ekon.

Jonathan had also been chatting on forms and had made quite a few new friends. Whether it was dabbling in medical, science, history, art or just getting to know new people from around the world, it let him refresh the languages that he had learned and given him a sense of community. Everyone needed communication and contact from others; the loneliness could be such a pain in the long Ekon life, and Jonathan had a way of turning some vampires away from him. Hence, friends in that section were incredibly hard. Jonathan had also received some visits from two retired Priwen couples.

John and Candace Moss both in their sixties. Who rented the old farmhouse off him. It was only a small drive away from the country manor house, which did classify them as neighbours. Candace Moss worked as an artist in the old barn that they had turned into a studio. The old farmhouse had some work done in 1989, but in John’s eyes, the old farmhouse needs a bit of loving restoring and updating here and there, one of the bathrooms had a pink and blue tile in a star pattern around the floor and walls. Jonathan did not disapprove of any of the restoration; John’s idea for the place had been to bring the building back to its former glory with modern updates within the old farmhouse style. John had been an odd-jobs man from Priwen. Jonathan hired him to fix up the old manor house when he could; the building had an update up in the late 90s with some tweaks in the 2000s, John had become the handyman for the old farmhouse and the manor house at the same time. Not that the man was complaining at all he was getting paid well, and boredom was what he suffered from in retirement.

John and Candace would visit him once a week; they would stay up until late into the night, playing board games, playing pool and having long discussions on any topic that either of them favoured. The couple would retire to the guestrooms for the night as both liked to drink a lot of wine. It invigorated Jonathan by just having living human beings around him again. He felt like he could pretend in some way that he was an average human and that Geoffrey was merely a heartbeat away.

Jonathan had also saved John from suffering a stroke. With Jonathan’s abilities, he could see an abrupt blockage of an artery leading to the brain; it was not at the stage of a stroke but would lead to one soon. Jonathan had made a call to a specialist and let them borrow money to make plans to leave straight away. John never forgot what Jonathan had done for him. The man had it clear in his mind that every time they were together, he would thank Jonathan over and over again. To be honest, Jonathan was getting a little sick of it, but he did not have it in his heart to scold the man. Thank goodness for Candace, she could always tell when Jonathan was uncomfortable, so she would get her husband to stop eventually.

Michael and Neal Redfield lived closest to Dublin, both of them were younger than the Mosses in their mid-thirties, but they liked being closer to the nightlife of Dublin. Neal was the retired Priwen out of the pair, after suffering a back injury which had left the man in a wheelchair, he now did a lot of activist work for people in wheelchairs. Michael worked for Priwen in the supply chain of making the deliveries of blood to vampires under Priwen’s laws. Michael and Jonathan had gotten on splendidly with each other.

Michael supplied blood to four vampires in the area of Dublin. They were a lower class of Ekons, and all they knew was that an ancient elder had moved in, at first there had been some unsettling feelings, but when the intention was made clear that upsetting their lives or ruling over them was not the intention at all. It had soothed all parties, the elder had only requested to be left alone and who could complain. The residents had no idea that Dr Jonathan Emmet Reid, the champion of England and tyrant of The Guard of Priwen was living in their backyard. No, they wished to exist in their quiet part of Ireland, trying to pretend to live some kind of normality within the shadows of the night. 


	13. Chapter 13

Night had fallen, and the cold air was crawling into the old manor walls. Jonathan had decided to get out of bed and walk into his ensuite bathroom, retrieving his first blood pack as he planned to enjoy a nice long hot bath. It was sad that in this modern world, no vampire had found a way to keep the warmth within their bones. The only temporary solutions were blood, company or the warmth provided by any device that gave off heat. Everything was only temporary comfort, it was not painful, just a slight numb feeling, with every human being that you touched complaining about your cold hands. Geoffrey had never complained once; the man seemed to run hot, he never seemed to be bothered by the cold at all. Jonathan's touch had never been unwelcomed, and sometimes the man looked for his cold body, especially in the summer months. 

"Geoffrey, I swear to whatever non-existent God there is. If I were alive, you would be smothering me to death by now." Jonathan slightly complained as the man's heavyweight dropped onto him in a hurry. His forgotten book lay on the leader's bed as his arms wrapped around the man.

"Quit complaining. Your cold and I am bloody hot," Geoffrey replied.

"Maybe I should test your blood levels again or do another full health examination." Jonathan had too many growing concerns for his lover's health. Geoffrey was human, after all, and humans died from many things. 

"If you're thirsty just say so because I am telling you right now there is no way in hell you are going to make me have another full examination." Geoffrey frowned his eyelids fluttered a little but remain closed, but his face animated with the growing scowl.

So very Geoffrey Jonathan thought to himself. "Geoffrey, I am serious." Gently laying one hand upon the man's back directly below was the heart, running a steady beat, a beat Jonathan enjoyed hearing over and over again. 

"I've had four of them, and you found nothing." Geoffrey looked up at Jonathan with a smirk. "I am just a hot-blooded individual."

"And what gall you have expecting me to agree with that." he tutted and presented his brilliant smile in return.

"Can't a man dig for compliments?" Geoffrey prodded him with his index finger digging right into the shoulder.

"What a rapscallion you are," Jonathan said, swatting the finger away.

"Well, you must have a type," Geoffrey said. "Don't your kind usually like ratbags anyway?" and there was the typical bite back. So typical Geoffrey he could be proper or an asshole if he wished to be, but this was all usual English sarcastic banter.

"What kind are we insinuating?" Jonathan decided to play dumb to see what blossoming remarks would leave his mouth. 

"The pompous prick kind."

"Not all of us are like that, Geoffrey." Jonathan scolded and gently tugged on his ear, the man laying on top of him resisted shaking his head backwards and forwards.

"If only the others would allow it, imagine if the rules did not exist."

"How truly wonderful that would be," Jonathan muttered. "Not having to hide, winning the affection of loved ones by being a sincere and kind person, not by money, statue or the need to gain something." He turned his head and looked out the balcony window. It was the only form of light in the whole room and Jonathan's chosen method of entry. He could see the moon in the night sky creeping over the castle courtyard walls. 

"Yes, the world is a weird one, is it not?" Geoffrey shrugged, finding a more comfortable position on Jonathan's chest.

"I can only hope that in the future things do change for the best." The usual positivity is shining through, the only thing that kept him alive sometimes.

"Ah, a future I will see no part of, but a future that is coming with every small change happening now." the voice of realism was coming through, Geoffrey lived in the present and held hopes for the future.

"If only those significant changes were here now." The dreamer met him halfway.

"Hmm," he nodded.

"I would marry you in a heartbeat," Jonathan whispered as he stroked Geoffrey's hair soothingly like a mother to a child.

"Of course you would, and what would your mother say?" A shuddering groan escaped him as he buried his face.

"Oh, my mother loves you," Jonathan reassured him, his mother did love the ratbag, because deep down he was just too sweet to her.

"Only because I can put you in your place." Geoffrey looked back up at his partner, being cheeky was something he was good at, too good at sometimes. 

"It is because you're concern matters to me," Jonathan remarked.

"Or it could be that you do not want your favourite meal to walk out the door," Geoffrey replied with a laugh.

"Geoffrey, when do you ever stop." He rubbed his head slightly and released a sigh. Geoffrey just continued amusing himself and laughing. "You know what scratch that idea; I might partake in my favourite meal."

"What?!" Geoffrey gasped as Jonathan switched places with him in the blink of an eye.

"Now Geoffrey, you know that I prefer you above all else." Jonathan purred, leaning closer to his face. Geoffrey's right arm was trapped under Jonathan's forearm the other hand pinned down to the bed. "I simply have to partake in all the kinds of pleasures that makeup you." His fangs were out as he gently grazed the neck, letting the hot breath caress Geoffrey's skin.

"Well, why don't you take a bite then?" What cheek this man possessed and what a pleasure was it indeed, to see that the leader of the Guard of Priwen was nothing, but a fun-loving guy at heart and that he was lucky enough to witness the underbelly of a well-guarded person. 

"I do hope that you do not favour these pants tonight, my dear," Jonathan smirked as he dry humped the front of Geoffrey's crotch. 

"It is a good thing you are with a hunter because my favourite pants are when they are on my floor."

"Oh, what sweet talk my dear I did not know you had any." He burst out, throwing his sarcasm back in Geoffrey's face.

"Let me show you what I have, dear." Geoffrey came forward for a kiss, and Jonathan was only going to let him get a quick peck before sending him back down onto the bed. 

"Not tonight, the night is mine." Jonathan slowly returned to the man's neck, biting down and savouring the unique flavour, as his lover gasped and cried out in pleasure. One of the many nights that he had enjoyed the comfort of Geoffrey's company, ancient memories danced upon his mind tonight as he watched a small droplet of blood from the sachet run down his arm into the bathwater below.


	14. Chapter 14

Jonathan was lost that night, looking very dishevelled in his loungewear constructed from vicuña in a warm brown colour. He was not even bothering to wear anything underneath, leaving one of his shoulders exposed to the cold and loosely tied up. In times like these, Jonathan wished that getting drunk was still a possibility. He was a longtime sufferer of depression, and he had not been surprised as he had diagnosed himself with this a long time ago, which was why he was such a strong supporter in better health care for humans who suffered it. Many of his kind suffered from it, but it had been quite in-curable among the vampire community, either they did not want help or did not feel that they needed it, Jonathan thought he deserved it for the life that he had unwillingly obtained.  
  
He had no idea what awaited him on the lower levels of the old manor, no concept that his sudden sadness had made his senses blind and numbed to what was crawling around in the darkness. He arrived in the grand old kitchen, carrying along with him an old forgotten habit of the past of looking in the cupboards and fridge. Jonathan smiled remembering when such a killer invention, became such a handy and convenient one. It had only been ice boxes in the beginning, then becoming unsealed ammonia fumed death traps waiting to burst into flames and blow homes to bits. It was a good thing that his mother had been to old fashion and untrusting of the technology to get one. Jonathan's heart went out to poor Avery, just thinking of all the things from his time that could have killed the man, it seemed extremely funny that he lived to a ripe old age. The light from the open fridge filled the darkroom as his eyes peruse the shelves, mostly human food, and alcoholic liquids within it as this was the kitchen that Candace liked to use the most.   
  
Suddenly, he heard what sounded like the firing of a bolt from an air-powered crossbow. Before he could react, he heard the bolt land beside him and explode into ultraviolet light, pieces of metal and oracle powder hit. Jonathan stumbled backwards gasping from shortness of breath, pain and temporary blindness. What Jonathan could make out was a figure of a man, sensing that bits of the metal had landed in his skin and were no ordinary metal shards, but poison-laced lead balls were seeping into his blood system. He was still strong enough to move, but he found that some of his abilities were blocked, it seemed like the lead balls had gotten stuck in his veins, he could not control the blood flow to where he wanted.   
  
"Sometimes, the tried and true ways are the best." The voice was like out of a nightmare. "Don't you think so Dr Reid?" How could something so loved, turn back into something so hated.   
  
"Geoffrey!" Jonathan wheezed, pulling himself over to the big central kitchen bench, his sight was still blurring, but he could tell that Geoffrey was there. It was not some trick of magic or tomfoolery of the mind.  
  
"I had set the table for a snake and then wondered why there's venom in my food." There was bitterness in those words. The first time they met in person, the knives had been out then too.   
  
"I have done nothing to harm you." Jonathan held his hand out as he stepped closer with the intent to disarm the man of whatever weapons he possessed. "Geoffrey, in my whole existence as an Ekon, I would never harm you. I swear!"   
  
"You expect me to believe that shit!" Geoffrey raised his gun again, looking for his second strike. Jonathan took the opportunity and charges him, fast and hard-knocking them both into the sink by the window and with a single blow, Jonathan disarms him.   
  
"In the past I stalked you. I was not proud of what I did, but I have never repeated it since. "Jonathan tried again. Something was wrong. Geoffrey should not be trying to fight a vampire with such little strength. Is he holding himself back, was he too untrained and young to know any better? What was the Guard of Priwen going by letting such a foolish act commence. Geoffrey from the past would have never allowed such a thing to happen, the blood of the innocent on the leader's hands was heresy, and no man wanted that on his conscience.   
  
"You cannot play games with me, leech." Geoffrey sounds exhausted. Jonathan's vision was clear now; the young man could not hide the black rings under his eyes from the creature of the night. "Your kind play tricks!"  
  
"Just what kind of tricks are you accusing me of?" Jonathan asks quietly, taking hold of Geoffrey's wrists and tightening his grip on the young man, pulling his hands above his head. They were so close now face to face, Geoffrey's hot breath caressing his cold face, the smell of mint leaves was there too. Did this Geoffrey love to eat fresh mint leaves or was Jonathan dreaming of the past again?   
  
"Penetrating my dreams and trying to get better control of my mind." The young man spat in his face "Thoughts are there that are not mine."   
  
"Geoffrey, there is no way I could do that to you!" Jonathan tries again to get Geoffrey to believe him.   
  
"Lies!" the young man yells going in for a kick to the groin, and of course, Jonathan should be aware of the holy blades in the top of the shoes. There was a small shot of pain, but he felt more embarrassed for falling for an old trick.   
  
"It is not!" Jonathan shouts, still maintaining some level-headedness, jumping back to a safe distance. "Some people have to obtain the necessary skills, and some have a gift." He needed to stay aware of whatever little tricks Geoffrey has up his sleeves. "You were one of the naturally gifted people." Jonathan waited for Geoffrey to make a charge, but he seemed to be waiting for Jonathan to do it first. There was no way he was going to indulge this. "Usher Talltree told me a long time ago that it must be ordained. There is no way I could penetrate your mind, even when you allowed me to do it, nothing happened." 

  
And how Jonathan remembered Usher laughing at him for even trying to access Geoffrey's mind. " _Not Even love will allow that, my friend,"_ Usher said calmly after his heartfelt giggle and went into a long history lesson on who was chosen as the leader of the Guard and why.   
  
"There must be a stronger leech than yourself playing with me," Geoffrey says, looking more lost.   
  
"Geoffrey, I can assure you that I am the most powerful vampire to still be on this earth right now." What bragging rights he was entitled to, but he was not the oldest to exist, and he was quite right about being the strongest.   
  
"It cannot be true." Geoffrey bangs his fist down on the counter in response and growls in frustration. "I demand there be answers, not fallacies." then he lets out a frustrated sigh.  
  
"Geoffrey, please." He pleads. Wanting to be near Geoffrey's side, but knowing fully well that the young man is not trustworthy and would love nothing more than to land a killing blow upon him. "I can not help you if you are not willing to talk to me!"  
  
"Why should I believe you!" He hesitates, looking like he is willing to give up the fight.   
  
_"Oh, who had stifled your soul I wish to know,"_ Jonathan thinks to himself seeing the weariness in this young child. "Because of the Guard of Priwen, Because of Sarah Raymond, she must have said something good about me?" Jonathan replies very softly, slowly drawing near to Geoffrey again.   
  
"The Sad Saint said things about you. The leader of the Sewer Skals Old Bridget told me things about you. Sarah Raymond had nothing bad to say about you."  
  
"So this was some kind of misconstrued anger then?" Jonathan says darkly. But he could not hold it against him; the young man was angry and confused. Geoffrey had once spoken about a time when a furious, confused youth did the same thing and that the Guard had beaten it out of him. Jonathan did not wish to beat anything out of Geoffrey; he did not have it within him to harm the young man. "And you were willing to communicate with others of my kind?" Jonathan raises an eyebrow questioningly.   
  
"They are just Skals, I am not scared of them," Geoffrey admits in a small voice. "Skals are not Ekons."   
  
"You are not the man I once had great respect for," Jonathan yelled at the silly boy before him. "Do you not understand just how dangerous that was? Just walk up to a Skal and start a lively old conversation. Sure as hell sounds nice, Geoffrey." He was laying on the sarcasm thicker than jelling on bread, but his expression was darker than the muddiest water. "All things can be hazardous when you underestimate your enemy." Jonathan jumped, violently turning Geoffrey around gripping the young man's arms and waist, his hands held a viselike grip. "I think that it would be best if you stayed the night," Jonathan whispered, pressing his mouth against Geoffrey's throat. It was so tempting but he would not, slowly drawing back and sighing to himself.   
  
"Fuck you, let me go!" Geoffrey was struggling and kicking, but there was no give.  
  
"I am going to inform your superiors of your whereabouts, and hopefully they will be here to collect you." Jonathan nodded to himself as he dragged his unwilling companion to the guest room for rowdy visitors. Throwing Geoffrey into the padded soundproof room, with no way for anyone to harm themselves, the room extremely concealed behind a false wall in the hallway. At first, Jonathan had been appalled that the room existed. Still, the Priwen agent that had recommended the house assured him that it was only to hold unwanted guests in the past. He had ended up using it more than once in his two years of occupation, some would-be assassins trying to make a hit on his head so that they can have a namesake, they ended up with nothing in the end.  
  
Jonathan went straight back into the kitchen to grab one of the many spare mobiles that he has hidden around the house, sure there is a landline, but Geoffrey would have cut that before entering the property. Jonathan was not even going to bother trying it as he pulled out an empty draw, feeling under it to pull off the phone stuck on the bottom what would-be robber would care for a bare draw anyway.   
  
There was only one man that Jonathan could think of in a time like this, Robert Kenzie. A man who knew every serving member on their lists. The dial turn rings out for a short time until a response came through.   
  
"Good evening Mr Kenzie, this is Doctor Jonathan Emmet Reid calling. I am afraid that one of your lost cadets has turned up at my door and requires a ride back." Jonathan said in a manner of immense politeness with a hint of frustration.  
  
"Doctor, if this is the same man that we are thinking of I beg of you to stay away from him." Kenzie croaked out very hurriedly. "Geoffrey is an unstable man. I do not know what they did to him, but get as far away from him as you can!"   
  
"What is going on? What happened to him?" Jonathan spoke with more heat this time.   
  
"Doctor if I knew I would tell you right now. Heed my warning and leave right now." Kenzie sternly throws back. "I'll send some men to your area, and I hope for your safety Doctor.."   
  
Jonathan hissed as exploded, the phone into pieces and his flesh in pain, all done thanks to a high powered crossbow. "GEOFFREY. WHY?!" he shrieked, the sound came roaring out of his belly. There was no way that he could remove the arrowhead without tearing, one of the most terrible designs that man invented, weapons that tear you apart if removed.  
  
"Soon, I'll bring your head before your coward of a father!" Geoffrey called out from impenetrable shadows, Jonathan was so unsure of where the voice came from, Jonathan vampire senses were slow thanks impartially to the lead running through his system.   
  
"Geoffrey, can you not hear yourself. You're a broken record of the past." Jonathan yelled back as his nails clawed at the counter, trying to keep himself upright. "You cannot accept the fact that we are not enemies, can you!"  
  
"Of all the evils that threaten mankind, your kind is the worst," Geoffrey warned of another attack coming, but nothing was happening again, all these words were threats, with no call to action and no direction.   
  
Jonathan knew that he needed to stop Geoffrey's game now. "There is no way you'll ever let me be McCullum you'll always hunt me down." Jonathan knew how mad this all sounded, but maybe replaying memories was the way out.   
  
"There is no escape, leech. You can no sway me to your ideals." Geoffrey said in that gruff Irish accent, voice booming around the empty street like a challenge. It was funny how his voice had started to sound more like the original owner.  
  
"What a clever boy you are." Jonathan smiled to himself as he had just found the source. "Just not clever enough," he mutters as he jumps out the window and on top of Geoffrey. The pair start fighting, kicking, punching, cutting and cursing at each other, Jonathan wins because Geoffrey is human and all humans eventually grow tired. Jonathan throws him to the ground with a loud thump. "I'll spare you, McCullum; I'll offer you the same mercy that you never offered me."   
  
"No, no, no," Geoffrey said like he was talking to himself as he rolls off his back and onto his knees, clenching his head in his hands like a drunk person after a vomit, he does not look well in Jonathan's opinion.  
  
"Geoffrey, are you all right?" Jonathan asked. He wanted to be near Geoffrey to help with whatever ailment was causing the suffering, but he was cautious of the man's movements, right now he was a threat to others and himself. "Can you describe to me your pain from one to ten?"   
  
"I don't know" he replied gasping very hard, was he trying to swallow something in his throat or breathe. "Why are you like this?"   
  
"Because I am a Doctor and will always care for people in need of my help."   
  
"No. You leech I don't understand you, but I do, and I know you." It was just psychobabble dribbling from his mouth. "I know you so well." He was delusionally talking to himself or Jonathan; there were no real answers. "I know you can be good; It is too dangerous to believe it." saying this as he looks to the sky. So he allows his head to hit the ground incredibly hard as his body follows like a ragdoll.  
  
"Oh, please be all right," Jonathan said, slowly approaching the figure on the ground. "I am so anxious about everything right now. Nothing seems bloody right.." Jonathan runs his hands all over Geoffrey looking for anything that could have caused this reaction. Still, without the ability to ask if he had ingested anything, all he could see were bruises, and light cuts nothing theatrical. Jonathan brought them back into the house and taking them both to private consultations room. He knew that he did not use it much, but it did not feel right not having one in his house. Jonathan would tend to what needed to be treated and lay the young man down to rest with restraints, of course.   



	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait, there has been a drought.

Jonathan felt lost like in a sandstorm; the sand hurt his eyes and stung his throat. It was the kind of dreading that he feared—the unknown.

"Oh, but what a silly human thing to still fear." The Ekon said. Jonathan paused, drawn back into the past. Was that before or after he took out her head, definitely before?

"Always hold a slight fear for the unknown. It is truly a silly thing to forget, my dear." Jonathan remembered seeing only the glittering of swords before hearing the sound of a body hitting the floor with the head rolling away from its owner. "You may have had life for an eternity, but the future is still unknown." Speaking to nothing and no one again as he watched the remnants of this elderly turn to ash.

What rendered these cold beings of the night so cruel. Would he ever feel sorry for these long lost beings? He felt like they never changed, always something that they were out to get, some revenge to do, territory to fight over or guard and unkindness seem to follow them in the wake of night, like some sad villain to repeat the actions of before with every new reader. 

"Sometimes, it starts with being human first. Geoffrey said. "Sometimes, it is time." After hearing Jonathan's tale of this cruel mistress of the night. Jonathan had the misfortune of coming across this Ekon in Scotland when visiting Lady Ashbury. The pair had quite the adventure tracking this Ekon down. "Did the Lady enjoy the hunt, Dr Reid?" 

"Oh, you know she did more than I ever will." He felt exhausted, being one of the strongest Ekon to exist in this day and age, but he had more negatives than cons to it. Everyone wanted his head on a silver plate and those who tried to slander his excellent reputation.

It was an endless play of cat and mouse, one that you have no say in you were forced to participate. Lord Redgrave was like that, the pretentious prick. Tried at every turn to end Jonathan's career or use someone else to finish the Doctor's second life without involving him.

Lord Redgrave's days were limited, and the man knew it too, there was only so many toes one could step on and get away with it. The weight had dropped from his shoulders the day Geoffrey ended the old cowardice prude. It was Geoffrey's blade that had taken the Skals head. Jonathan had wanted to take that man out, but Geoffrey had reminded him the harbour of hate would be on his door, not Jonathan's. The Ekon community was still unsure of the Doctor.

"He was once useful to them, but he became unfavourable." 

"Yes, I do understand, but frustrated I remain," Jonathan said, "He has been a pain in the running of daily life since my second one began and trying to force my hand at every turn."

"The darkness that he brings shall no longer darken your door." Added Geoffrey sensing Jonathan's depressed mood. 

"But who is to fill it." sighed Jonathan, looking down at his hands. The mere thought of some Ekon leader better suited than Lord Redgrave is enough to shove the fear up anyone's backside.

"Jonathan, I know what I have is not enough to keep you safe. Even your supernatural abilities can not protect you forever, but what we have together may keep them at bay for now." He could feel Geoffrey's protective side bleeding across. What a beautiful heart this man did possess despite being labelled as cold. 

"And you say that I am an enthusiastic dreamer." Jonathan playfully jabbed the hunter.

"Maybe you are just contagious." There was that cheeky look to that rogue face.

"A good kind of contagious or bad?" He questioned, watching Geoffrey close the gap between them.

"Only the best kind. One that I hope will spread kindness like a plague," Geoffrey replied, looking affectionately toward the Doctor standing close to him.

"Oh dear, now I know why the women talk about Irish men, what with your gift of the gab." Jonathan laughed, leaning more into his companion's shoulder.

"Wait until later tonight." Leaning closer, he spoke with more affection. "I'll share all my favourite poetry with you."

"Oh yes, please do share." Exclaimed Jonathan, who had a great many other things on his mind that he wishes to do tonight with his lover, but poetry will be an excellent start. 


	16. Chapter 16

Jonathan reappeared before his unruly guest, finding that Geoffrey had untied himself from the bed and was standing there waiting for him. Jonathan could only hope that things were going to be different, seeing that the man had calmed down. 

Calmly he opened his eyes looking straight at Jonathan. "I would like to leave now if you do not mind."

"Leave in your condition?" Jonathan responded, shocked at the request.

"I have no condition, Dr Reed," Geoffrey said coldly.

Jonathan felt slightly hurt hearing this from Geoffrey's lips. He had always been a stubborn man but never denied medical aid if needed. "You are suffering from something undiagnosed" Jonathan pleaded. "I would like it if you did stay."

"As a human being, I have the right to refused medical care if I choose too."

"As a medical care provider, I do have a right to detain you if I feel your safety or if others are in danger!" Jonathan snapped, throwing his arms out in front of him, trying to gesture just how important this was.

"That is not your style Dr Reid or are things different now?" Geoffrey questioned, faint lines growing in the corner of his mouth, indicating a smile.

"Yes, it is a funny thing about that. No matter how much I detest the cruel treatment of patients; there is always a time and place." Jonathan scowled. He thought of all the horrible things that happen in the past to the unfortunate patients. Then only to produce medicine almost like magic in front of the general public.

"Then this might be the time and place to tell you that there is nothing you can do for me." He sounded so honest; it caused Jonathan's heart to bleed. 

"Nothing I can do for you what an incredible idea. I can at least try." The doctor inside of him was not going to give up so easily.

"The great Dr Reid defeater of the Red Queen and curer of the sick." He said seriously.

"So you do remember?" If Jonathan had any breath to hold, he would be keeping it right now. "Do you remember me? Please tell me that you remember me." 

"This is incredibly hard for me to explain." Geoffrey tried to compile something, but he felt that nothing would prove him to be more insane and especially in front of a vampire, how insane this situation was. "Some days, I do not even know myself; I feel like different people are running around in my head."

"So when you came to my house to attack me, you were different?"

"There was a lot of anger inside." Geoffrey could not stand looking at this leech before him. "Some emotions just take hold of me and run." Why did he even need to be explaining himself? "I assumed that I was under a spell of some kind."

"No one can control you, Geoffrey." Jonathan smiled at Geoffrey, thinking to himself how silly it was that He still believed that lie. "It is quite impossible; the leader of the Guard of Priwen cannot be tainted or controlled by magic."

"I am not a leader anymore."

"But you once were, you’re training, and magical resistance remains. The leaders of Priwen are selected not because they are the best of the best." Priwen had a very long and deep history around them; of course, they had to develop ways and magical abilities to survive. To take on the darkness that humanity was blind too. 

"I need to go." Geoffrey half-closed his eyes. "You will not have me coming back anytime soon, I learn quickly from my mistakes."

"If you are going to leave I hope it intends returning to Priwen." Jonathan licked his lips, watching Geoffrey. It was a bad habit from the past, gazing upon what you dreamed about, but cannot have. "I have a feeling that you do not like it there, but I feel that it is the only place where you will be safe until you are in control of yourself." 

"In control." He grinned sarcastically and pushed past Jonathan, walking off into the night. 


	17. Chapter 17

Jonathan felt an incredible pain when Geoffrey walked out. The rain seemed to follow in his footsteps or was that a reflection of Jonathan's mood? Maybe it was because he never got to say goodbye to Geoffrey, was that why he had held on for so long or had it been the promise from Lady Grace McWilliams.

To hold him again, his Geoffrey. To kiss his lips and say just how sorry he was to have failed him. When in life, Jonathan had been given so much power, he still could do nothing, only to feel energy slip away, the experience that was Geoffrey McCullum had gone.

"I never wanted to let go of you…" Jonathan admitted to himself.

_ "My use is to serve until I can no longer can or die trying." _ Geoffrey threw back at Jonathan quickly. " _ We have talked about this before." _ Yes, they use to talk about it now and then.

"I was never ready too.." Jonathan cried to whatever was there to listen to this broken soul. 

_ "Johnny, I did not get married to have a bereaved widow crying for me." _ He sarcastically said.

Yes, he was a bereaved widow crying, Jonathan knew it. Goddamit, he knew, but it did not mean that it still did not hurt and his feelings were real. Here he was talking to ghosts again or mere recordings in his mind. 

"…..Geoffrey.."

_ "Well, we both knew what kind of line of work I do," _ Geoffrey said with all honesty. It was no lie, Jonathan had fallen for a man who could not walk away from his position. It was to be worn thin or die kind of job.

Geoffrey McCullum had passed alongside some of his best men. He had died with great honour and respect. All leaders of the Guard of Priwen could never match what Geoffrey had gone through and done in such a short lifetime, only 37. He had so much more to do and give. Jonathan had continued for him, with Geoffrey's last words laid out in the written form, so far removed from the man's lips. Lips which he had enjoyed in life and treasured in memory now. In a time so far away from now.

Jonathan had all the time in the world to mourn and cry in frustration; he would do so, maybe it would help him move on from a memory that only haunted him. He was now alone to do with life what he wanted. It was time to release Geoffrey's hands and let him pass in the gentle breeze. 


	18. Chapter 18

Jonathan knew that having any resemblance of forgiveness would eventually blow up in his face. The funny thing was he had given it to an Ekon called Eddy Biden. A young boy had been turned into an Ekon at seventeen by a member of The Ascalon Club. Choosing some middle-class wannabe and turning them into an Ekon, Jonathan could only think about how badly that would have made Lord Redgrave roll around in his grave if he had one.

Eddy had been waiting a long time to get back at Dr Reid. Even trying to start up The Ascalon Club again, it was a worse version of the first one, and that was saying quite a lot. Still, Jonathan was going to have to give it to Eddy for knowing a thing or two about doing his research on ancient magical restraints. He never thought that in a million years he would have to feel such bonds as these.

Now to Jonathan, they felt like having a mosquito bite that you cannot scratch, to a lower vampire they would have been more painful like having barbwire stuck in your skin with the sensation of a slow tugging. With the years Jonathan had acquired to his existence, it made torture and death prolonged suffering; all they had managed to do was weaken him and discard him here.

Jonathan lay there in his darken cell only with the accompanying smell of whatever unfortunate creature happened to die in this dark forgotten place. It was indeed one of Jonathan’s most idiotic moments. There he had been left to wallow in his own mistake, nearly bled dry, but luckily for him, Eddy did not do much research on elder Ekon’s. What was next, Jonathan only could imagine, but it was going to be long, painful and tedious.

“Enjoying your stay Dr Reid?” Eddy chuckled appearing before him from the corner of the cell.

“Well, I won’t be giving you a five-star review anytime soon,” Jonathan said, almost smiling at Eddy. “You should hire better cleaners.”

It was quite ridiculous that he had picked up some of Geoffrey’s tactics of enticing the enemy into being stifled or becoming frustrated. He could gain leverage. Still, it had to be the right enemy to do so; Eddy was the right one to use it on. The silly boy had not learned anything with the coming of time, only saving all his strength for revenge. It was quite sad how they had brainwashed a child into following this methodology.

“You think yourself quite smart? Don’t you, dear Dr Reid.” Eddy bellowed poking Jonathan in the chest with his hawk-like claw.

“Oh Eddy, do stop wasting your breath.” He muttered, with a hint of boredom as he closed his eyes to the squawking of some little bird—rather tiresome as it was but very familiar act of other Ekon who thought themselves superior to others.

“Hey, I am talking to you!” Eddy started puffing up his chest and squawking again.

“And I am not listening.” It was childish, but it brought Eddy closer to him, maybe if Jonathan could plan something now his chances would become better. Jonathan opened his eyes a few minutes before Eddy did; he noticed the presence of the figure lingering in the doorway. A human, a very uncommonly quiet one at that, meaning that they would be a hunter how else would one sneak up on a vampire.

“Who the bloody hell are you?” Eddy Biden shrieked, not realising the great danger he was in, maybe it was better this way.

“Nothing.” The gruff voice whispered as Eddy exploded into a ball of fire from a single bullet. The dumb Ekon had learned nothing from time; he must have seen a chance of weakness and went for it. Returning to nothing lay the fresh ashes of the once Eddy Biden. Jonathan was exhausted and felt that his voice would break if he attempted to speak. An arm placed itself across his shaking body. “Here drink this Reid.” Jonathan shook his for long face and tried to push the figure away from him; he was not strong enough to even try. “Drink!” was the command as blood splatters the ground. The man shoved the bottle into his mouth. “I mean you no harm.”

“It is funny hearing you say a thing like that.” Jonathan had regained some strength. “But I do not take kindly to being forced.” He looked straight up to hold the gaze of none other than Geoffrey. “So, we meet again, hunter.”

“Is that what you want. For me to run you through?” There were questions, but no real factual evidence.

“Why now?” Jonathan did not know who he was directing his words to, he was worn and tired from this wasted moment of torture and whatever was in the bottle was not enough, but he would not attack the life in front of him.

“Who knows?” Geoffrey answered reluctantly.

“Apologies I am poorly and need to lay down.” Jonathan hesitated before doing what he said and laying down upon the cold stone and allowing sleep to take him.


	19. Chapter 19

Jonathan could already identify the young lady sitting by his bedside before even regaining consciousness. “Sarah, what do I owe the honour to have you waiting by my bedside?”

  
“Like all in the know, I heard about the little incident that had befallen you,” Sarah replied, nothing in her body language had changed, she was quite unreadable to any Ekon and average looking to any human.

  
It was perfect for the head of the Guard of Priwen. Geoffrey would have been so proud to have known that not only did Priwen survive into the new millennium, but chosen the right leaders to govern it by. Jonathan could imagine it, but with the positive imagination came negatives, would Geoffrey be happy with Priwen surviving this long? Geoffrey had never been fond of people with too much power; he did not respect the royal family or anyone cut from the same cloth. Geoffrey had even admitted that he regretted his own choices within Priwen.

  
“There is something we need to talk about Sarah.” He said sharply beginning to feel better, more in control.

  
“I guess we can not drag the cat across the coal any longer.” Straight to the point, Sarah Raymond was an organised and systematic woman; there was no need for hiding things from Jonathan. The Ekon had decided for himself that the knowledge of Geoffrey’s existence was now crucial to him.

  
“What happened to Geoffrey?” Jonathan questions.

  
“You wish to know what triggered Geoffrey’s past and present to become the car crash which lays before you.”

  
“Treat the problem before curing the sickness.” It occurred to him that shoving his feelings aside was the best thing to do when dealing with Sarah. He would play the doctor before the bereaved widow chasing any shadows that took the shape of a past lover in the night.

  
“Geoffrey came to us with complaints,” Sarah said, casting a vindicated eye on Jonathan. “I saw that his imaginations and nightmares received help. Only the best had the utmost honour of handling the situation, but we failed.” She was repositioning herself in the chair to obtain some height. “Instead of draining the skin abscess, we irritated it.”

  
“Irritated it how?” Jonathan could hear Sarah’s pulse pick up a rapid beat.

  
“You have seen it for yourself, Doctor,” Sarah said in a low voice. “He is the Geoffrey of then and now. He jumps around whenever it is needed; I have a feeling that your Geoffrey wants out.”

  
“Please Miss Raymond stop acting like he is two different people.” Jonathan droned out a long sigh. He was sick of hearing this and ill of being foolish enough to have believed it once upon a time. Geoffrey’s pass was all there in his mind, but a different person he was not. Human’s could be reincarnated, in many different ways and styles. Jonathan knew this by meeting a small handful of humans who could remember their past lives. Some could see it differently; sometimes, the human could recognise it all, but never reconnect or acknowledge it or the power of their minds could treat it all like a dream and forget the whole thing.

  
“I have concluded this is over here. I will send Geoffrey’s file to you as I believe that you will want to help him.”

  
“Promise me that Priwen has learned from this mistake.” Jonathan felt like he was schooling young doctors again, who had only learned from textbooks and never seen a real human body before.

  
“It has been learned and will never happen again,” Sarah said with a hesitance that was not much like herself, standing up and escorting herself out of the room. Jonathan was left there pondering over what nightmare horrors he would find within that file.


	20. Chapter 20

Jonathan returned to his family home in the West End. It had been the one thing that he could not discard; half of his mortal life had been within the walls of this grand old building. Even after all these years, these walls remained cold and firm, when he had lost everyone this building was the only thing that remained, this was the last pieces of his family stored away for eternity.

Flying up the stairs and locking himself away inside his father’s study, he had converted into his own. Still, he had never managed to get rid of the smell of coffee and luxurious cigars, a constant reminder of his father’s ghost. Tucked tightly under his arm was the file heavy with notes on Geoffrey, he was going to spend his whole night poring over them if he had too.

The Doctor deep within him knew that his patient was suffering from an internal agony. Suppose anyone on this earth could cross both the medical and spiritual world. Jonathan could do it and provide needed help; maybe it was foolish to believe in one’s abilities as strongly as Jonathan did, many had told him that if it were not for his heart’s kindness, people would have thought him to be up himself or after money. Other doctors found it incredible to see someone so willing to give his all in everything he did, but what could Jonathan do, it was who he was. 

Jonathan badly wished that he could consume coffee again, if not for the temporarily falsified senses. Still, for the comfort, it brought a morning time delight or a crutch for long nights, Jonathan had nothing like that now. Blood was the be-all and end-all of his existence; it could taste like everything in the world and anything beyond its reach.

He took a deep breath, staring at the file on the far left side of the solid oak desk. He was nervous; he knew he would not find anything remotely positive on Geoffrey’s mental state in this file. Jonathan had met with people who had a second life, not in charge of these people’s physical needs or mental care; it was an opportunity to observe. If Jonathan had been given a chance before becoming an Ekon, he would have judged the legitimacy of it all. 

After spending six hours on his research, he was becoming slightly hesitant. The medical details were clear to him, but the spiritual methods of retaining contact with the past started regular than did a kamikaze after a few pages. Jonathan feared for his patient's wellbeing came running back like a freight train through a tunnel. The methods all were a mid-level fail. They should have known better. They should have known better. What did they expect, but the elite of Priwen is not easily affected by this.

The Guard of Priwen had many methods of protecting all members’ bodies and souls and significantly more for the deceased. It was foolish even to try; the peaceful slumber of death was sacred. What was dead stayed dead. Geoffrey had been different; he had been born different, Usher Talltree had explained this to him. As much as Jonathan hated how Priwen and The Order of Saint-Paul's Stole had recruited their highest members, it had just been the way it was done, just like how randomly he was selected.

Usher had told him that the reason Geoffrey and Usher had maintained connections, The Order of Saint-Paul's Stole were the finders of these particular beings, and Priwen sent out to find them. Geoffrey had the opportunity to become the leader of The Guard of Priwen. He had been born with things that need cultivating. Jonathan could not stand Myrddin Wylttt choosing to sire him into becoming an Ekon, let alone being picked as a child to weight the world thrust upon you.

Jonathan had never heard of half of the methods used to bring McCullum back to the surface. He has a feeling that so many rules were broken. Jonathan wished for an alcoholic beverage to touch his lips even knowing full well that it would be regurgitator it later with a pint of blood on the side. He had to convince Geoffrey to see him willingly, so he just felt that everything was on a high from here on out, what other big disasters could come trudging along. 

The big decision was putting the call through to Geoffrey and if the young man would be willing to meet Jonathan again, but there was no way that Jonathan was backing out now. Jonathan picked up his mobile phone and put the call through to the young man, Sarah Raymond had provided Geoffrey’s number, she could be useful when she needed to have things fixed.

Jonathan put the call through and was not surprised to end up in voice mail; he gathered himself together and tried to play it as professional as he could. “Hello, Geoffrey, this is Dr Jonathan Emmet Reid. Now, as we both are well informed, Priwen has provided me as your new doctor for your health and well-being. Please do not feel that you are being forced into this. If you are in any way of medical need, I would recommend seeing any medical professionals, but I do feel that we need to talk privately.” The air felt robbed from within his chest as old feelings of dread for the health of one so precious to his very being was walking around maybe hurt or in pain. “It is of the utmost importance that you get help. I understand that we may have never gotten off on the right footing, to begin with, but we never really started on level ground anyway. Please find somewhere deep in your heart to at least give me one more try to set things right.” His time was up now, and Jonathan had to refrain from calling back and leaving a second message again, he did feel that the first was enough but knowing that if you left a second, it would just be a stupid waste of time. There was only a painful waiting period. 


	21. Chapter 21

Geoffrey grit his teeth; he could almost taste the metallic flavour in his mouth. He was listening to the voice message for the second time. It was ironic that the Ekon offered his help and around the same time that Geoffrey was becoming more aware of Priewn’s deceit. Their willingness to hand this mess over and to wipe their hands clean of their debacle was bloody pathetic. 

It had come down to trusting the Ekon or the Priwen, it was a truly dreadful thing to behold a human throwing their trust to a creature of the night, but both humanity and monsters seem to be despicable and wicked as each other. Jonathan’s quick confession over the phone sounded genuine than any bullshit that ever came from Priwen’s mouth.

Human life still meant nothing, even after all these years. He could almost hear his own words coming back to him. “ _We do not kill humans_.” What bullshit. Priewn was still following the backward order from the past; they did whatever the hell they wanted.

He would have to see Jonathan again. Geoffrey had mixed emotions towards the Ekon, but deep down, he still loved the bastard and loathed him at the same time. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, Jonathan had been the reason Geoffrey’s whole life was a burning dumpster, and if that bastard was excepting him to take this apology and move on, he had another thing coming.

He was looking down at the black screen in the palm of his hand. There awaiting a decision which was going to happen today, the decision he could not walk away from, Someone wanted to make their conscience barren, and the other wanted a meaningful, truthful discussion. Who would get what they wanted was another thing, it all depends on who was a good boy for Christmas.

Biting the bullet, Geoffrey sent the text message. “ **We will meet at your house at midnight—no one else, only us**.” He turned his phone off after knowing that Jonathan saw the text message; Geoffrey did not need to know the reply. 


	22. Chapter 22

After reading the text for the tenth time, the first thing Jonathan noticed was how he felt. A slight flutter of panic crawling it’s way into his very being—fidgeting with his phone slipping it around within the palm of his hand. He should try to calm down and stop his erratic pacing around the desk. Should have, would have, could have. If only his poor mother were still around to see is sporadic behaviour. All of her hard work and money has gone down the drain. He could not stop his inconsistent thinking or movements; if his brain could use his incredible speed, this is how it would look. Like a person with a mental health condition bouncing off the padded walls.

Geoffrey wanted to meet.

The man would not come with pleasantries; he had a bone to pick. There was no way of knowing how either of them would handle it. Jonathan was unsure of what to do, should he change his clothes, try not to appear so Ekon like? Might need to think twice about that one, it seems quite impossible. Making Geoffrey suspicious would not be the best thing to do, because Geoffrey might pull a knife out and when did the man not want to pull blades out.

Jonathan was desperately trying to busy himself stuffing his hands full of the papers strewn around the desk, like sawdust after a blade had cut through wood. Realising that every piece of paper was related to Geoffrey’s case, Jonathan felt quite hopeless. Glancing at the old clock on the mantle it told him that it was the morning commuters’ time to be up and out the door. It is natural for vampires to be asleep at this time. Sadly being as old as Jonathan, one could forgo sleep without any repercussions unless, for a prolonged period, he did wish to sleep.

  
So ridiculous all of this unnecessary anxiety. What was Geoffrey going to do? Lecture him? Kill him? the man had already tried. Sue him? That might be hard even for Priwen to sue an Ekon and how would they get that one through the court system, it would be hilarious. “Your Honor, I am suing this vampire for the disruption he has caused to my reincarnated life.” Knowing the world today it might have happened already? What did Jonathan seem to be behind on most gossiping. What did he care about gossiping most of its imagination mixed with small truths.

  
Maybe he could try sleeping, what harm would it do? Every living thing needed sleep. He would set a reminder, layout clean clothes and have a hot bath before Geoffrey came and would make sure that he had enough blood, to fight the craving that he held for a being so precious. There was a burning black painful rot that ate away from inside. Jonathan was not going to act like a beast now. Dragging himself from the desk, Jonathan took in the messy scenery before him. This chaos within the office held some inner workings of himself. He decided to give up and head toward the stairs to find some sleep if that was possible?


End file.
